Sanjay Leela Bhansali was slapped and heckled on the sets of his movie 'Padmavati' in Jaipur.
A day after filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was beaten up on the sets of his film
Padmavati in Jaipur, the Rajput Karni Sena refused to apologise for the assault and claimed that the film crew had fired shots in the air, which provoked the organisation's volunteers.
"Yesterday, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's crew fired shots in the air. That led to the confrontation," said Lokhendra Singh, spokesperson of the Rajput Karni Sena, justifying the attack.
The spokesperson also refused to apologise for the incident and said, "We won't tolerate distortion of history."
He said that the organization has registered a complaint with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
"Bhansali has asked for two days' time to get back to us. He has agreed to temporarily halt the shooting," said Lokhendra Singh, addressing a press conference in Jaipur.
The protesters alleged that the film has love scenes between Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, played by actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. The allegations are unconfirmed, but the Rajput Karni Sena demands that Mr Bhansali "delete such scenes".
"We had warned the filmmaker against presenting wrong facts. When we came to know about the shooting, we gathered there and protested," said a leader of the group, Narayan Singh.
Reacting to the developments, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said, "Anger should not be shown by breaking the law. It's natural to be angry but people should come to the police who will then investigate. We will now probe and find out who's at fault and who is not."
Mr Bhansali was slapped and his hair was pulled by protesters who alleged that the film distorts history. They also vandalised the equipment.
Members of the Rajput Karni Sena stormed the film's sets at the historic Jaigarh Fort and assaulted Mr Bhansali, filming the entire incident on their mobile phones. Some of the attackers are seen on camera. But five people detained by police after the attack were let off today as no complaint was filed.
The award-winning filmmaker has decided to temporarily halt the shoot and the entire crew may return to Mumbai.
India's top film personalities have come out in support of Mr Bhansali and say they are horrified and outraged at the vicious assault. The Film & TV Producers Guild of India has written to the Centre seeking assurance on protection for film personalities and crew members.
Padmavati, a historical drama, is based on the story of Queen Padmini, who famously refused to submit to Emperor Alauddin Khilji when he arrived at the Chittorgarh fort with his army. The queen killed herself along with scores of other women before he stormed the fort.